Choosing the Path of the Fourth-Generation Proprietress After Being Told to “Follow Your Heart”

Natsuko Kudo was 30 years old when she decided to leave her eight-year banking career in Sapporo to take over her family's ryokan.
Onsen Ryokan Yano was founded during the war by her great-grandmother, who was born into the Yano family of Fukushima Town. Her daughter, Masako Yano, opened a branch-like inn in the neighboring town of Matsumae in 1951. Later, Ms. Kudo's mother, Saeko, became the third-generation proprietress.
Although Ms. Kudo had been in and out of the inn since childhood, helping with tasks like arranging cushions for banquets and watching her grandmother warm sake for guests, she reveals, “I was never once asked to take over.”

“In fact, I was sent to a boarding junior and senior high school in Sapporo after elementary school so that I could ‘make a living anywhere, with any job’ (laughs). My mother was also told by her mother to ‘follow your own path,’ and she said the same to me. So, when I told my parents I wanted to return home to start a new path at the 30-year milestone, they were both very surprised.”

For 70 years, Onsen Ryokan Yano has been welcoming guests with local cuisine and natural hot springs in Matsumae, Hokkaido's only castle town.

Even though it was her family home, stepping into the role of proprietress required considerable preparation and resolve. Her mother told her, “You need to be able to step in for any staff member at a moment's notice.” So, Ms. Kudo obtained a large-vehicle license to drive the shuttle minibus and a chef's license.
Furthermore, through a connection in the industry, she trained at a ryokan managed by Tsuruga Resort, where she experienced a full range of duties, from greeting guests at the entrance to cleaning windows and preparing breakfast.

“After work, all the staff would go out for drinks together. At those times, they would look at our inn with all its lights on and proudly say, ‘Look at that, we're fully booked!’ Seeing that, I learned the most important part of being a proprietress. I thought, ‘Ah, I want to create an inn full of staff who feel this proud of their workplace.’ I am truly grateful to President Masayuki Onishi of Tsuruga for accepting me when I knew nothing.”

A Drastic Change in the Work Environment to Encourage Long-Term Employment

The staff, whom Ms. Kudo had known since she was a child, were very supportive of the “young proprietress's return.” The team at Onsen Ryokan Yano, ranging in age from their 30s to an amazing 76, are a close-knit group.

Ms. Kudo wanted them to continue working happily and healthily for as long as they wished. To achieve this, she focused on improving the work environment.
“In the ryokan industry, there's a practice called ‘nakanuke,’ which is a long break in the middle of an all-day shift, but it doesn't allow for proper rest. So, soon after I returned, I changed to a three-shift system: early, middle, and late. Also, in my mother's time, the bath cleaning staff also handled the laundry, but hanging it out to dry was quite strenuous. I decided to separate these duties. One of our strengths has always been that a single employee can handle multiple tasks. This helped us immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Switching from in-room dining to a separate dining hall was another bold move for the historic ryokan.
“Many people associate ryokans with in-room dining, but when you consider the logistics of delivering hot dishes to each room and the time lag when guests want to order more drinks, providing meals in a dining hall where staff can always keep an eye on things actually allows for higher quality service.”

The plan featuring “Seafood and Local Cuisine” is also popular, offering delights like Matsumae bluefin tuna, sea urchin, abalone, and the local specialty, whale meat (varies by season).

Creating a comfortable space for both guests and the nearly 30 employees. Ms. Kudo's efforts paid off, and during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 onwards, not a single employee left Yano.

“I believe we were able to get through it all because of our current team,” Ms. Kudo says, a sentiment that surely speaks for everyone involved.

A Japanese-style room with a view of Matsumae Castle. Enjoy the charming sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom in spring and the snow-covered castle in winter.

Transforming a Tangible Cultural Property Warehouse into a Café and Storyteller of Matsumae's History

Matsumae has no JR train station. The inn is a little under a two-hour drive from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. If using public transport, it's about a 90-minute ride on the Hakodate Bus from Kikonai Station, so it's not exactly the most accessible location.
“Matsumae isn't a place you can just ‘stop by.’ For guests who still make the effort to come, I want to provide a level of satisfaction that exceeds their expectations. A ryokan prospers together with its town,” says Ms. Kudo.

As if to bolster this symbiotic relationship between the town and the ryokan, a new eatery directly managed by Yano was born in July 2022: Café “Imise Sakura,” housed in a renovated 190-year-old earthen storehouse.

The name came from wondering, “What did they call a place to eat in the Edo period?” which led to “Imise.” This was combined with “kura” (storehouse) and Matsumae's famous “sakura” (cherry blossoms) to create the perfect name.

The building is the “Matsumoto Family Earthen Storehouse,” a designated Tangible Cultural Property of Matsumae Town owned by Onsen Ryokan Yano. Records show it was built in 1831.
The Matsumoto family were hereditary captains of the “Chojamaru,” a ship owned by the Matsumae clan, which was one of the *Kitamaebune* cargo ships that sailed between Hokkaido and mainland Japan via the Sea of Japan during the Edo and Meiji periods.
The storehouse contained historical materials related to the Chojamaru, as well as tableware, fusuma (sliding doors), and hanging scrolls that tell the story of the lifestyle of that era. For the renovation, these precious materials were restored under the supervision of a local curator and are now displayed as part of the interior.

“Even precious cultural assets will just decay if left untouched. By utilizing the entire building as a storyteller of Matsumae's history, we've transformed it into a space where customers can experience the town's journey firsthand.”

“Imise Sakura” was reborn amidst the various constraints associated with a Tangible Cultural Property.

The “flavor change” by adding soy milk is a huge hit! “Hokkaido Beef Roast Beef Bowl (with fresh soy milk poured over).”

Soy Milk Rare Cheesecake Parfait. “We always use tofu or soy milk made from local soybeans in our dishes.”

The “Tuna Girls,” Connected by the Hokkaido Shinkansen and Local Initiative

The community development group Ms. Kudo belongs to, the “Tsugaru Strait Maguro Joshi-kai” (Tsugaru Strait Tuna Girls' Association), affectionately known as “Magu-jo,” began in 2009 when Ms. Kudo hit it off with Yasuko Shima at a community development seminar hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency. Ms. Shima is a self-proclaimed “community-building guerrilla” from Oma Town, which, like Matsumae, is famous for its tuna fishing.

“With the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen in 2016, various movements began in the towns on both sides of the Tsugaru Strait. Ms. Shima and I got excited about the idea of enlivening our towns in a way that wasn't bound by the frameworks of government or existing organizations. We felt that women were the ones who could do it. So, like a single-hook tuna fisherman, we started calling out to other women in the area who seemed like they would agree (laughs). Since our formation in 2014, we now have over 90 members.”

The activities of the Magu-jo, whose members come from various professions and regions, are not about everyone working on the same project at once. Instead, projects and their timing are decided at the local level. They don't form formal executive committees beforehand; if it seems like they can “ride along” together, they do. It's a practical, results-oriented approach typical of women.

“A key feature of Magu-jo projects is that they are planned by us locals who know the area best, like a tour to see the Tachineputa floats of Goshogawara City, Aomori, from inside the float rather than from the outside, or my own plan offering ‘Lord's Cuisine and a Guide by the Proprietress.’ We also set appropriate business prices. The Hokkaido Shinkansen connects Aomori and Hokkaido physically, and we have a network of friends who share the same aspirations and challenges, which connects us emotionally. That's actually something quite amazing, isn't it?” Ms. Kudo says with pride.

The Magu-jo received the 24th Aogin Award (Community Contribution category) in 2016, the 9th Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency Award in 2017, and the Cabinet Office's “Award for Female Challengers” in 2018. Natsuko Kudo is second from the right.

“The towns of the Magu-jo are small towns that might generally be called rural. But every one of those towns has something that makes people want to ‘go out of their way to visit.’ Our role is to unearth those treasures. I believe that when rural areas are revitalized, Japan as a whole becomes more vibrant, and that's when the true effect of the Hokkaido Shinkansen will be realized.”

In March 2022, an expressway opened from Hakodate Airport IC to Kikonai IC, shortening the travel time to the airport by about 30 minutes. “I hope this will be a tailwind for us,” Ms. Kudo says with anticipation.
Now with the new base of “Imise Sakura,” it's time for the “Tuna Girls” to show what they can do.

The “Magu-jo's Seikan Expo,” an event month that was suspended due to the pandemic, partially resumed from November 2022. Check the official Magu-jo website for details!